Due Justice

Chapter 20

As I went over the bridge off Plant Key away from Minaret, I turned right onto Bayshore heading toward downtown. I was impressed, as I always am, with the view. Hillsborough Bay, particularly along the Bayshore, is truly beautiful. Not many years ago, the Hillsborough River, the Bay and Tampa Bay were completely dead. After a massive clean-up campaign, fish, dolphins, rays and manatee are regularly spotted in all three waters. In fact, the Tampa Downtown Partnership sponsors an annual fishing tournament, giving prizes to the largest fish caught in the downtown area. Thankfully, there are fish to catch. You can eat them, too, if you’re brave enough.

The drive down Bayshore, over the Platt Street Bridge, toward the Convention Center is one of my daily pleasures. I could feel my mood lightening and I actually felt better physically. Downtown Tampa, once a ghost town, is making a comeback. There is the one new office building at Jackson Street, Landmark Tower, where O’Connell Worthington has his offices. A series of storefronts and Sacred Heart Church makes up the four block stretch to the Federal Building housing the federal courthouse. But on the other side of Platt Street, the Lightning play hockey in their new arena. A convention hotel is planned, Garrison Sea Port houses cruise ships and the Tampa Aquarium’s glass dome lights the sky.

The Federal Building itself is circa 1920. In 1920, the Middle District of Florida was a much smaller place than it is now that what we Floridians affectionately call “the Black Rat” has moved into Orlando. The building is old, decrepit and much too small for the district’s current needs. A new Federal Building is under construction, but for a while yet, we have to make do with small courtrooms and crowded conditions.

As the most junior judge on the bench, in terms of seniority, age and the CJ’s affection, I have the least desirable location. It’s the RHIP rule; I have no rank and no privilege. My courtroom and chambers are on the third floor, in the back. Getting there from the parking garage helps me keep my schoolgirl figure.

I pulled into my reserved spot and parked Greta illegally across two parking places. Building security got the meter maid to write me a ticket the first time they found my car parked like this, and I smiled remembering that I personally vacated it. I may have no rank with the CJ, but I certainly rank higher than a meter maid. This parking garage was built with the very minimum allowable tolerances. There is just no way I’m going to park Greta where she can be hit by other car doors. If the building loses revenue, they should have thought of that when they were marking off the spaces. If all the spaces were large enough to hold a Greyhound bus, we’d all have enough room, wouldn’t we?

When I got to my office, there was still no word from Carly. I did some paperwork, and rescheduled the Jones v. General Medics case to start again tomorrow. Then I went home and went straight to bed.

The next morning, the hours dragged on interminably. My mind was definitely not on the trial and I kept thinking about where Carly could possibly be, when she would return and whether she’d be dead or alive.

By the time I recessed the trial at 4:30, the inactivity was driving me crazy. Off the record, but in open court, I said “Mr. Grover, I want to see you in my chambers. Mr. Worthington, I represent to you that I don’t want to discuss anything related to the case with him and I will not hear anything related to the case from him. If you want me to declare a mistrial and you can appeal this ex parte communication, all you have to do is ask.”

I could see O’Connell’s astonished face as I hurried off the bench, while he shouted toward my back, “Judge, this is most irregular!”  And Grover was simultaneously exclaiming “Judge, you’ll create reversible error in my trial.”  I ignored them both.

When Grover came into my chambers, I had removed my robe and was sitting behind my desk. He came in somewhat gingerly, not knowing what to expect. When he sat down in the ugly olive green client chair across from me, I studied him a long moment before saying anything.